The Colony by Audrey Magee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was so wonderfully written. Magee’s style of dialogue somehow emphasizes the lilt of this Irish dialect and the tension between the characters. Other critiques have said it’s about art and war but I think it’s about voice — young James and the artist and the Frenchman and even the political players are all taking different communication methods to be heard. Of course the status of each character is also something that they each find a way to fight for. The quiet melancholy of the island’s colony is a metaphor for something primal — the struggle for identity and breaking away from oppressive traditions while maintaining culture. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

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